| Muhammad Arif Sarwari | |
|---|---|
| Governor of Panjshir | |
| In office 6 June 2015 – 2017 | |
| Preceded by | Abdul Rahman Kabiri |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1961 (age 62–63) Deh Mazang, Kabul Province, Afghanistan |
| Occupation | legislator |
Engineer Muhammad Arif Sarwari, also known simply as Engineer Arif, is a former Afghan intelligence official and politician.
Pre-Taliban
Sarwari studied electronics at a technical college, later transferring to Kabul Polytechnic. He did not complete his studies, instead joining the anti-Soviet resistance in 1982 during the Soviet–Afghan War. In 1992, after the ouster of the communists, he was appointed the chief of security of Kabul. He later served as the first deputy of National Directorate of Security. When the Taliban seized Kabul he joined the forces of Ahmad Shah Masoud, who was later to lead the Afghan Northern Alliance.
Northern Alliance and post-war
During the first Taliban rule, Sarwari was the chief intelligence official of the Northern Alliance under Ahmad Shah Massoud. Massoud's September 9, 2001 assassination took place in Aref's office.
After the September 11 attacks, he was a major figure in coordinating with the CIA's Jawbreaker team, which worked with the Northern Alliance and prepared the way for further military operations. After the fall of Kabul, Sarwari and his organization took over the existing Afghan National Directorate of Security, but he was removed by Afghan President Hamid Karzai in early 2004 and replaced by Amrullah Saleh.
Governor of Panjshir
Sarwari was Governor of Panjshir Province as of March 2017.
Evacuation
After the Taliban captured Kabul in 2022, he was evacuated out of Afghanistan and into Kosovo.
Personal life
Sarwari is married and has two sons and three daughters. He speaks Dari, Pashto, Russian and English.
References
- "Meshrano Jirga". Government of Afghanistan. Archived from the original on November 13, 2009. Retrieved 2009-07-15.
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Jon Lee Anderson, Thomas Dworzak (2003). The Lion's Grave: Dispatches from Afghanistan. Grove Press. p. 192. ISBN 978-0-8021-4025-8. Retrieved 2010-12-05.
Engineer Muhammad Aref ('engineer' is a common Afghan honorific, indicating that someone is educated and has studied engineering), who is now the head of Afghan intelligence services, was Massoud's chief of security; it was in his office that the assassination took place.
- "Panjsher Governor Accused of Smuggling Lazuli". Ariana News. 2017-03-14. Archived from the original on 2017-03-16. Retrieved 2021-09-15.
- Ott, Haley (2022-06-29). "Afghan official evacuated by U.S. says he and his family living "like prisoners" on American military base in Kosovo - CBS News". www.cbsnews.com. Retrieved 2024-06-12.
Generic references
- Gall, Carlotta (2004-02-05). "Afghan Leader Removes Chief Of Intelligence". The New York Times. Retrieved 2010-01-29.
- Schroen, Gary C. (2005). First In: An Insider's Account of How the CIA Spearheaded the War on Terror in Afghanistan. Random House, Inc. ISBN 0-89141-872-5.